


Semper Fidelis

by alex_caligari



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Gen, Originally Posted on LiveJournal, Triple Drabble
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-22
Updated: 2019-01-22
Packaged: 2019-10-14 08:45:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17505359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alex_caligari/pseuds/alex_caligari
Summary: Two old soldiers meet in a field.





	Semper Fidelis

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted in 2011.

Someone was moving in the dark. “Who goes there?” he called. He was still dressed like a Roman, might as well talk like one.

“Easy, cowboy,” the stranger said. “No harm intended. _Semper fi_ or whatever.”

“ _Semper fidelis_ ,” he corrected. “What do you want?”

“I wanted to see the legendary Centurion, guarding an impossible box. It’s not every day you get to meet a Roman soldier in the 20th century.”

“Well, it’s not every day I meet a WWII soldier in 1923.”

“Touché. I suppose I am a bit early, aren’t I? But I wanted to see you in full costume, before that incident with the fire-”

“What fire?”

“-and if I may say it suits you brilliantly. The leather, the sword...you should wear that all the time.”

Rory stood up, drawing said sword. “Look, you’re obviously not from around here, and I don’t know what you want, so maybe you could move on, alright?” He waved the sword a little. “I don’t want to have to hurt you.”

The stranger laughed, but didn’t move. “Who left you behind?”

He bristled. “No one ‘left’ me behind. I chose to stay here, to guard...her.”

“More choice than I ever got. I admire your dedication, my friend.” The stranger shuffled. “What if he doesn’t come back for you?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“You’re a terrible liar. Well? What then?”

Rory straightened to his full height, although he was still shorter than the stranger. “Then I’ll stay with her.”

The stranger was silent, nodding like something was affirmed. “Good. I bet she’d be proud. Him, too.”

“I’m not doing it for him.”

The stranger smiled widely. “Even better.”

He started to walk off into the dark before turning and calling back to Rory. “Oh, and by the way, the rank’s Captain.”


End file.
